Production at BHP Billiton's Ekati diamond mine in Canada was lower than all comparative periods due to lower average grade, the mining conglomerate said in a production update yesterday.

Output during the June 2010 quarter fell 18%, compared to the same period last year. Compared to the March 2010 quarter, production was 4% lower.

Production for the June 2010 quarter totalled 740,000 carats. For the year ended June 30, production totalled 3,050,000 carats, down 5% on the previous year.

“During the year, a higher proportion of ore was sourced from the Fox pit at  Ekati, as mining of the higher grade Panda underground was completed,” BHP Billiton said.